Most institutions rely on their computer systems to execute daily business operations. In particular, government institutions, corporations, financial institutions, hospitals, universities, nonprofit organizations and/or other businesses can use their computer systems to maintain and manage business data, execute transactions or offered services, automate processes, machines or devices, or monitor and control “critical infrastructure,” such as communications networks, power grids, power plants, or weather, aviation or military radar systems. For instance, power grids, medical devices, and/or manufacturing machinery can be automated via computer systems. Also, financial institutions execute transactions with their customers or other institutions electronically. Furthermore, business records, archives, customer information, or other business related data are now stored electronically.
The functional importance and business value of computer systems for respective institutions and their customers call for operational reliability and enhanced cyber security of such computer systems. Many institutions spend substantial amounts of money and resources to secure their computer systems from intruders, hackers, viruses and/or other threats, and to comply with local regulations pertaining to securing computer systems. For instance, computer systems employ firewalls, antivirus and malware protection software, data encryption, secure communication channels, and/or other cyber security measures. Also, many businesses and institutions invest substantially in computer resources and information technology (IT) work force to guarantee continuous availability of their systems and services to potential customers. However, the increased complexity of many computer systems and/or the increasingly sophisticated cyber security threats make many computer systems vulnerable to cyber security attacks, even when such measures are employed, and system or services' outage (e.g., one or more servers or applications going down).